Next in Line
by Sailor Ronin Usa-chan
Summary: The fate of the world rests in the hands of someone you'd least suspect. Some say that when he saw hope die that he went insane... But they weren't the ones next in line to save the world. HPSM Co-written with ChibiPyroDuo
1. Prologue

_Author Notes: Another Co-written project... Considering I have a ton of WK/SM stories I figured a HP/SM needed done... And (to my knowledge) this plot hasn't been used in this fandom... Anyway I'll be writing this with Chibi Pyro Duo... comments are appreciated._

* * *

**Next in Line**

The field was like a lake of mist. As far as the eye could see rolling fog seemed to consume the area. It was a wonder that anything could be seen on a night like this one. Even the stars seemed to have lost their twinkle as they were silent witnesses to the scene below.

Harry dodged at the last possible second and was sent rolling through the damp grass as he tried to avoid the attack that had been meant to kill him. He had been fighting with his arch enemy for well over an hour now and his labored breaths revealed this fact. He had only survived thus far on luck and it seemed to be something he was quickly running out of. He would have given everything to be with his friends again, but they were safe and far away from here.

A sizzling green line zipped by his ear and he bounced to his feet with a wince. This was no time to let his mind wander. One mistake and he could find himself finished. His hands were sweaty and he had dropped his wand long ago. He had been reduced to dodging blasts as he vainly tried to make his way back to his precious item.

A laugh seemed to fill the air and eyes that seemed to be tinted red mocked the helpless teen. "You're no match for me, boy." The deep male voice rumbled through their arena and sent a chill through the younger participant, "accept your death and let's end this."

Harry swallowed nervously as his bloodshot eyes focused on his wand. They must have steadily worked their way back to where the attack had happened. He was only a few feet away but those few feet seemed like an eternity to him. He saw the flash of red and barely ducked beneath it as he dived wildly with his hand outstretched towards the wooden wonder. "Please," he whispered as his fingers scrabbled in the dirt in a wild attempt to grab the wand up.

Green light blinded him and he gasped as he felt it sizzle in the space beside his head. The shots were starting to get closer, that meant Voldemort was tiring of his game. He was starting to aim to kill. Harry took another deep breath as his eyes scanned the available escape routes; there wasn't any. He was trapped in a corner like a rat that was being stalked by a cat... And in Harry's case the cat was a vicious tiger who wanted to torture him before slaughtering him. Tears stung the corners of Harry's eyes and he dashed them away with the back of his hand. He had no time to grieve over what had happened in the past. This was the final battle... It was him against Voldemort and there would be no rescues from Dumbledore this time.

There would never again be a rescue from Dumbledore... Unbidden tears started to trickle down his dirt stained cheeks and he barely suppressed a sob. Dumbledore had died for him, had taken the blast meant to end Harry's life in order to give him time to escape and regroup. The memory was still fresh in his mind as those ancient eyes had filled with shock and disbelief before all life faded out of them.

Resolve flickered to life in Harry's emerald green eyes. He couldn't allow this monster to win. He would not let Dumbledore's sacrifice be in vain. Hatred filled his very being as he remembered the deaths of his loved ones that had been caused by this demon. It was up to him to revenge them all, no one else could. Instinctively his fingers tightened around his wand until he could feel the harsh wood digging into his skin, but he didn't care anymore. The only thing he cared about was revenge.

Amused eyes followed Harry's every pathetic attempt. To him this was a game. It wasn't enough to kill the boy that had ruined all his plans; he had to let the wizarding world know that he, Voldemort, was once again in control. "Foolish," he whispered as Harry attempted to curse him. "The only way to stop me is to kill me, like I'm going to do to you." He let those words sink in and smiled in malice as fear and hatred mixed together in the murky green gaze. He gestured with his wand and a wave of wind struck the small body and sent it flying to the ground. He was tired of playing; it was time to take his rightful place once again.

Harry's body had slammed into a tree but with sheer will power he forced himself to stay awake. His friends were counting on him. He wasn't about to let them down. Wiping fresh blood from the side of his face where the bark had caught him, he started to struggle to his feet when a wave of sheer pain washed over him. Voldemort was using the forbidden curses and like a fool Harry hadn't been prepared enough to try to dodge it. His screams echoed through the field only to mingle with Voldemort's laughter.

With a gasp Harry only barely managed to duck under the next attack. The killing curse... He was in such excrutiating pain. It seemed that he would forever be screaming to the heavens as he agonized. He twitched as the pain faded and greedily gulped the air that had seemingly been forced out of him.

"Goodbye, Harry Potter," Voldemort casually announced with a sadistic smile as he aimed his wand once more at the boy. With Harry as weak as he was it was easy to curse him once more and drive the rebel to his knees as he writhed in pain. With a flick of his wand he released one last spell and laughed as Harry's world was flooded with green. With Harry Potter dead there would be no one left to ruin his plans. It was a shame he hadn't been able to turn the boy... It would have been even more satisfying if Harry had been the one that had killed Dumbledore instead of himself. But then again... just like he was enjoying with Harry, he had enjoyed watching Dumbledore die.

A motion caught his eye and he smiled. It seemed that Potter wouldn't be so easy to kill after all. No matter, it would be a pleasure killing the upstart with his own two hands. With a smile he strode over to the still twitching body and picked Harry up by his neck. At first he considered ending it with one clean twist, but what was the fun in that? Instead he held the teen's feet off the ground and slowly choked out whatever life remained in him. The world would learn that Voldemort was to be obeyed and not trifled with.

* * *

The wizarding world seemed to lurch to a sudden halt as a giant green skull with a snake for a tongue was painted on the sky. Many common muggles stopped whatever they were doing to take snapshots of the strange occurrence and whisper to each other about aliens.

News of Harry's death spread fast. At first only those from Hogwarts knew about it, but the tale spread quickly like a fanned blaze over the world. Soon stories were told of how he heroically fought against Voldemort only to be crushed like an insignificant worm. Fear crept into the hearts of all from the magical world as they waited to see what would happen next. Harry Potter had been the boy who lived, and now it seemed he had died by the hands of Voldemort himself. With him their hopes for a safe peaceful world had been destroyed completely. It didn't take long for the people to fall into despair.

* * *

She strode with purpose as she passed through the arched hallways. Ghosts stopped to watch her go with a strange look in their eyes. She didn't pay them any mind as she struggled to outrun the memories. She had watched the entire battle, to the end. She had seen Harry survive the attack that had killed his family only to be slaughtered by Voldemort's own hand... She had tried to help of course, she knew he was the only hope for this world to have peace, but it had been as if she was invisible.

Her steps faltered as she noticed a boy watching her. Normally she would have ignored this but the way he was looking at her... He wasn't looking through her as most were apt to do. "Can you see me?"

For a moment he studied the young woman. She had blonde hair in a strange hairstyle, and she was wearing an even stranger dress, especially if you considered that while on school grounds most wore robes. At first he had thought her a ghost but you could see through those... and he couldn't see through her. "Yes..."

She smiled and gently took his hand. "If you can see me and touch me than you're the one... You're aware of what happened today with the concerns of Harry Potter, correct?" she waited for him to nod and leaned forward to gently kiss his forehead. "My name is Serenity. I was once Princess of the Moon... only those that can see me have a hope of saving this world from Voldemort. You've been chosen to avenge Harry's death."

His reaction was quite natural if you knew him. Neville Longbottom, a seventh year Gryffindor that had been teased and bullied most of his life, fell to the ground in a dead faint.


	2. Chapter One by Duochan

_Next in Line_

_By: Chibi Pyro Duo and Sailor Ronin Usa_

_Chapter 1_

_Disclaimer: their respective owners own all Sailor Moon and Harry Potter. The story line belongs to Duo-chan and Usa-chan._

* * *

He blinked and sank out of the comforting darkness. Squinting from the oncoming light he blinked again and tried to sit up. "Mmmm..." he groaned and lay back down.

An unfamiliar female voice assaulted his eardrums, "You hit your head extremely hard." He groaned again in response, "My apologies, I didn't mean to scare you. I always forget that people are scared of me."

Neville opened his eyes and looked for the girl talking to him. On a chair next to his hospital bed sat the same blonde girl with a funny hairstyle in her medieval white dress. He did the only logical thing his mind could think of. He screamed.

The golden haired teenager covered her ears and whimpered.

The matron dressed in black and white threw back the hospital curtain, "What's wrong, child?" Neville pointed at the thin air that Serenity sat in. Madame Pomfrey looked at Neville, "Dearie you bumped your head rather hard on the floor. Are you sure that there is something there?" Neville nodded his head vigorously. Madame Pomfrey sighed, closed the curtain, and walked out of the Hospital Wing.

Neville looked at the girl, named Serenity if he recalled correctly, in fear. Serenity played with some of her endless supply of hair, "Oh, no need to be afraid of me. I'm harmless."

Neville gulped, eyed her very carefully, and started to back away slightly, "How can you be harmless?"

Serenity rolled her eyes and floated, "Oh, I can't do much besides floating." She lifted herself off the chair and moved towards Neville's bed. Neville backed away to the edge of the bed, "Oh come now, is that any way for Voldemort's defeater to act?"

"I'm not who you think I am." countered Neville as if saying the dreadful words would make the girl's words true.

"Of course you are." Serenity's eyes held total faith in him. Something the meek Neville was not ready cope with.

"I don't have the scar." The shy boy admitted almost silently, his voice holding no confidence in himself.

Serenity came nose to nose with Neville ceasing his protests, "You don't need a scar, that's purely superstition." Her cerulean blue eyes held a spark of annoyance at being disbelieved.

Madame Pomfrey ripped back the curtain, scaring Neville and he fell off the edge of the bed, "See Minerva something is wrong with him. He is talking to thin air."

"I'm sure the boy is fine Poppy," Minerva McGonagal snapped her disdainful gaze towards a sheepish looking Neville, "Don't want him to miss any more class." The former Deputy Head Mistress mumbled.

Poppy Pomfrey sighed as she lost another battle to keep a student from harm, "As you wish Head Mistress." Madame Pomfrey summoned Neville's clothes from a laundry basket. She placed the clothes on his bed and closed the curtain.

Neville lifted himself off of the chilly solid marble floor. Serenity floated above the bed with her legs in a cross-legged style. He reached for his clothes, and unfolded his jeans, "Umm Serenity do you mind?"

The naïve princess looked at Neville in confusion, "Hmmm?"

Neville shook his head and lifted up his jeans. Serenity blushed and promptly turned around. Neville also flushed in embarrassment as he himself turned around needlessly and changed.

After a couple of minutes of the two in question blushing from the rustling, zipping, and snapping noises Neville's voice told Serenity, "Okay you can turn around now."

Serenity floated around and smiled, "You look more comfortable now." Neville's eyes looked towards the ground in spineless shame, he yanked open the hospital wing curtain, "You know it would be nice if you listened!" Serenity silently thought, Oh he's just like Harry never listening. She floated after him down the halls and into the Gryffindor Common Room.

Noise of all the students that were socializing in the common room rang through Neville's ears, "McGonagal's the new Head..."

"Don't feel as safe as I use to..."

Neville sat on a couch and sighed, he heard two female fourth years prattling among themselves, "Since McGonagal's the new Head who's going to teach Transfiguration?"

"I hear they got an Auror to do it. Her name is Tonks. I hear that she's going to be the new Gryffindor head too."

"Wicked."

On the couch across from him he heard Ginny Weasly, the ruby haired sixth year and a few of her friends talking, "Snape has got to be the worst Defense Professor since Umbridge!"

"At least we learn more Potion skills from Professor Cortez. She doesn't hover around us like an overgrown bat, waiting for one of us to make a mistake."

"Sure, but who do you reckon they will get as the new Deputy Head?"

"I don't know Snape, Flitwick, Sprout. Someone who has been here a long time."

Neville saw Serenity floating over next to the students listening to their gossip.

Neville used Serenity's distraction to go to his dorm alone.

He opened the door and felt there was something different about the room. Harry's bed and trunk were missing. Neville choked back a sob and sat on his bed. It's not like he and Harry were the best of friends. But he was one of the first people who hadn't seen him as a loser and had truly befriended him. He was the first one who knew about his parents, and he was the only one who truly understood him.

A tear almost escaped Neville's eye when Serenity's golden head popped out of the bed, "You shouldn't run off like that. I was worried about you!"

Neville jumped six feet into the air in fear and surprise. It was not like he wasn't used to seeing ghosts pop out of halls, rooms, and doors. But even in his seventh year Neville still couldn't help but be jumpy when he saw it happen. The resigned Neville straightened himself up, "Why would you be worried about me, I'm a nobody."

Serenity brushed the comment off, "Oh don't be silly, you are the only one who can defeat Voldemort."

Neville shuddered as he heard the dreaded Dark Lords name, "That's impossible!" his shy voice rang softly upon deaf ears.

Neville turned from Serenity and her head popped up in front of him again. Neville jumped back again, "No it is very possible." The long since dead monarch was growing more irritated by the second. This one would not ignore her. She had waited at least twenty years for the savior of the world to find her and she wasn't going to let the exquisite planet of her Endymion be destroyed because the boy had self-esteem issues.

Neville was not going to lose this debate, it would prove that everything she was saying was true, and that he couldn't accept. There was absolutely no truth in the ghost. If he was really the savior of the world, why had he been ignored all his life, picked on by bullies such as Malfoy, and generally tormented by Snape and various other teachers for his poor performance in his classes. "How can I defeat You-Know-Who when Harry couldn't even lay a scratch on him!" Yes Harry the superior one. He was everything Neville strived to be, courageous, bold, self confident, and preformed well and had the approval of every teacher. (Well Snape didn't really count in his book).

Serenity floated all the way through the bed, tired of having ignorant Earthlings denying her demands. "I've been thinking, ever since Harry died. He never acknowledged me after he came to Hogwarts. But he was able to see me at one time. Perhaps it was a fluke, perhaps it was because Voldermort had marked him as his own, or perhaps he really was our savior, but chose to ignore it. It does not matter anymore, what matters is that......... Neville Long bottom, where are you going?" her irritation and shock at being ignored was apparent.

Neville did the only practical thing that come to the meek, yet sometimes-brave boy would do. He jumped off his bed and ran downstairs to find his smartest friend and confidant.

"Hermione, Hermione!"

Hermione looked up from her book her eyes a little puffy, "Yes Neville?" Answered her quivering voice, wondering what the timid boy was so worked up about.

Neville bent over to catch his breathe, "Her..mi..ne.." he took a big gulp of air and caught his breath, his thoughts running a mile a minute throughout his head, "There is this ghost that has been following me around."

Hermione rolled her eyes and smiled a bit at how Neville was still afraid of the ghosts that they had now known for several year, "Peeves again?"

Neville shook his head, his head stopped reeling with thoughts and possibilities. He hesitated, it could sound like nonsense, but maybe she would believe him. No, Hermione had to believe him, if she didn't than he really must be going nuts. "It's this girl, she looks our age. And she says that I'm the only one who can defeat You-Know-Who."

Hermione's eyes hardened, how could she have felt pity for the boy almost seconds earlier when he was clearly mocking her dead boyfriend? "Stop that nonsense talk, Neville. If you're hallucinating you should go see Madame Pomfrey."

Neville started getting alarmed, if he couldn't get Hermione to believe him, no one would believe him, he would be regarded as crazy and be even more mocked than he already was, 'Ghost Seeing Boy' didn't sound like an ideal nickname, "But Hermione she is so real. She says Harry wasn't the chosen one and that's why he died and..."

He was cut off by a hard smack to the face. Hermione was glowing with anger, "HOW DARE YOU! How dare you talk about Harry like that, like he wasn't good enough," tears fell from Hermione's eyes, "He was worth a dozen of you Neville Longbottom!" Hermione's ran upstairs her face drenched howling her beloved's name.

Ginny threw dagger looks at the usually sensitive boy, "You just had to bring Harry up. Do you know how long it took me to get her down here?"

Neville looked at the red carpet ashamed that he acted without thinking of Hermione's feelings, "I'm sorry I was just scared because..."

Ginny interrupted him in a rage that blinded even her, "Neville, we are all scarred about what's going to happen. But that doesn't mean that you need to go around making up stories!" Ginny stormed up to the girl's dormitory determined to stop the mourning girl from jumping from her window.

Neville looked around the common room, he saw all the stares he was receiving and heard the whispers, and "I never knew Longbottom was such a jerk."

"Knew that kid was mental..."

Neville put his head down and walked back up to his own dormitory. He reached the door and sighed again. _How is it possible that I mess up every time I get around them?_ He thought.

He threw the door open and collapsed on his bed.

He saw Serenity floating above his body with her legs crossed again, a smug look set on her face, "So are you going to listen now?"

Neville groaned, turned over, and shoved a pillow over his head, mumbling it's only a dream it's only a dream. Serenity put her head in her hands, "I guess that's a no."

* * *

Sun pored through the window, birds chirped, one partially sad snow owl sat at the windowsill waiting for her master to return.

An evil snake-like voice whispered in a commanding voice, "What can stop me now, Lucius? What?"

Another male with a submissive voice answered, "Nothing my Lord."

An evil laugh filled a young boys head. It was drowned out by a sweet female voice, "Neville... Neville..." The boy groaned, "Neville..."

The boy's eyes slowly opened. He saw the familiar cerulean eyes an inch away from his own chestnut brown, "AWWW!" Neville sat up and knocked heads with Serenity. Neville rubbed his head and gave Serenity an annoyed yet weary glance, "I thought you were a ghost."

Serenity rubbed her own forehead donned with a golden crescent moon, "I am, only those who can see me can touch me remember?"

Neville got up again slowly, being sure to avoid touching the ghost princess. He opened the curtain wincing at the new light assaulting his eyes. He stretched and got off the bed. He picked up his clothes off his trunk and looked up to see Serenity giving him a curious look, her head sitting in the middle of the scarlet curtain. Neville jumped back for what seemed like the umpteenth time since he met the ghost and hissed, "Will you please stop doing that!" in his meek yet demanding voice, still fearing what the students would say about the scene from yesterday.

Serenity cocked her head and smiled her moonlight white teeth glimmering in the sunlight. Neville sighed in defeat and walked towards the bathroom. Serenity floated all the way out of the red curtain and after Neville, "Neville what are you doing? Neville? Nev.." CRASH! The Moon Princess lay sprawled out on the floor, "What the?" She tried again to float through the door, CRASH! "Owie" Serenity sat at the foot of the door scratching at it, like a puppy waiting for its master to return.

Neville opened the door fully garbed in his Hogwarts uniform with his tie draped loosely around his neck.

Serenity fell backwards, "What were you doing?" She latched onto his arm, "You disappeared and I was so worried when I couldn't get through the door."

Neville flushed in embarrassment of the attractive princess hanging on his arm. He politely peeled Serenity off his arm, "One of the first things you learn at Hogwarts is that ghosts can't enter bathrooms.

Serenity poked the space between the door and bathroom, a little spark of electricity zapped her. She scooted away rapidly and drew a pink wand out of nowhere and started threatening the wooden door, "What is Myrtle's trick?"

Neville looked at the ceiling avoiding Serenity's curious kitten-like eyes, "People think it's because she died in the bathroom." Serenity was no longer listening to Neville's explanation but was occupied with the "evil possessed chunk of wood" A shy yet peaceful smile appeared on his face. He grabbed his robe, walked out of his room, and shut the door behind him. Neville stopped and listened at the door, hearing Serenity's threats he walked downstairs and out of the common room.

"Neville... Neville... Hey Nev!" Neville jumped at his name being yelled in his ear. He spun around and Serenity fell from the sky laughing, "You should have seen the look on your face!"

Neville flushed from embarrassment, turned around abruptly and walked towards the Great Hall for breakfast. He wasn't going to be embarrassed in front of the princess anymore, if he could help it.

* * *

Serenity had followed him around all day. Because of her he had fouled up things more with Hermione, which earned him another slap, had violently destroyed his third cauldron that year, and made him look like a fool in front of Snape, who had started picking on Neville even more because Harry was not with them.

Serenity's voice had begun to grate on his nerves, "I really don't see what Snape's problem is with you. Your parents never picked on him." Serenity was doing what she seemed to be best at, talking, "Speaking of your parents, I haven't heard them talked about since Voldemort," Neville visibly winced, "was overthrown."

Neville tensed up, no one but Ron and Hermione knew about his parents, and he didn't plan on telling anyone else anytime soon.

"Neville what's going on with them?"

Neville turned his eyes down to look at the marble ground and mumbled, "Mind your own business."

Serenity continued to pursue the topic at hand, "You know Neville you've been moody today. I'm sure Alice and Frank must have..."

Neville cracked, "I SAID MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS!" He glowed with anger, while Serenity glided back hesitantly in fear, "Leave me alone, I'm not who you think I am so leave me and find who you are really looking for!" tears of frustration crept into Neville's eyes. He didn't want to believe the ghost. He just couldn't he would not desecrate Harry's memory like that. To believe her would be to believe that Harry was not good enough, and that he was, which was something that was simply not true.

A gruff female voice laughed hideously, "Talking to yourself Longbottom? Maybe he's trying to resurrect Potter, Draco."

The blonde Slytherien looked at Pansy like she was delirious, "Pansy, Longbottom is talking to someone. Probably a Hufflepuff from the looks of her..."

"Draco what are you talking about?" asked Pansy who was getting worried about Draco.

Serenity smoothly sailed over to Malfoy her white dress billowing somewhat behind her, "You can see me?" the hesitation in her voice was obvious.

The young Malfoy heir looked at the princess like she was insane, "Of course I can, what do you take me for a blockhead?"

The only surviving member of the Silver Millennium slowly glided back as she looked quickly between Malfoy and Neville. She laughed nervously and disappeared into the floor.

Neville and Malfoy both watched her vanish. Malfoy grabbed Neville's robes and growled, "Explain Longbottom!"

* * *

_Author Note: Okay not much plot here until the end. _

_Duo's Response:_

_Queen Diamond: Yep I think this is a record for me to get a chapter done this soon after the first chapter was posted (although I had about half of it written when the first chapter was posted ; )_

_Lunar Princess: Yeah it was all Usa-chan's idea to kill Harry off, I just wanted to shift power to Nev-kun. But I will also take credit for putting the idea into Usa-chan's head. I'm glad you like the idea though._

_Sapience: The question will be answered soon. (It can't be this soon, it'll ruin the story ) _

_Yami Nocturna: I'm glad you like all those elements. I hope you have enough Neville and Serenity this chapter. Although nothing romantic has happened... yet._

_Tsuki no Tenshi: I'm glad you enjoyed it. Yeah that idea is how this whole story came about._

_Silver Moon Goddess1: I'm glad you enjoyed it. _

_Maiden Genisis: Glad you enjoyed it_

_Pira: sequels I'm so glad you enjoyed it. You're one of my favorite authors _


End file.
